The Fort Hays State volleyball team returns to Gross Memorial Coliseum this weekend to face off with Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State. The Tigers and Lions will battle on Friday beginning at 6 p.m. before FHSU hosts the Gorillas on Saturday at 2 p.m.
LISTEN TO MISSOURI SOUTHERN MATCH
Fort Hays State enters the weekend 8-10 overall and 2-7 in league action, including a 5-5 mark at home. Missouri Southern heads to Hays with a record of 3-15 and 0-8 in MIAA play, while Pittsburg State is currently 11-6 on the year and 5-4 in conference contests.
Tale of the Tigers
- The Tigers dropped two hard-fought matches on the road last week, including falling in three tightly-contested sets at No. 5 Central Missouri and a five-set battle at Emporia State.
- Morgan Christiansen is one of five players in the conference currently averaging at least one block per set. She ranks fifth in the league with an average of 1.02 per frame.
- FHSU is the only school with multiple players in the top seven in blocks, with Emily Ellis just behind in seventh in the league with 0.95 blocks each set.
- Riley Tinder continues to lead the team and now ranks 17th in the MIAA with 2.67 kills per set. Her team-high 174 kills ranks 10th in the league.
- Libero Jaden Daffer is averaging a team-high 3.86 digs per set, good for 11th-most in the league.
- Fort Hays State is hitting .186 as a team on the year while averaging 12.3 kills, 11.5 assists, 1.1 service aces, 15.8 digs and 2.1 blocks per set.
Scouting the Opposition
Missouri Southern
- Through 18 matches the Lions are swinging at a .133 rate while allowing opponents a .243 attack percentage.
- MSSU averages 10.2 kills, 0.3 assists, 1.6 service aces, 13.7 digs and 1.3 blocks per set.
- CC Pollard leads the team with 3.05 kills per set, 10th-most in the MIAA.
- Setter Sophie Mader averages 8.02 assists per frame, ranking 8th in the league.
- The Lions are currently in the midst of an 11-match losing streak, with their last win coming on September 11 at Kentucky Wesleyan.
Pittsburg State
- While the Gorillas are a perfect 7-0 at home, they are just 4-6 away from John Lance Arena, including a 2-5 record in true road matches.
- Pittsburg State has posted an attack percentage of .223 to date while allowing a .198 swing rate to opponents. Both figures rank in the middle of the pack in the league.
- PSU averages 12.9 kills, 11.7 assists, 1.9 service aces, 16.1 digs and 1.4 blocks per set. They lead the league and rank 56th nationally in service aces per set.
- Meg Auten is one of the top hitters in the league, averaging 3.44 kills per set to rank fifth.
- Setter Brianna Richard averages right at 10.0 assists per set, third-most in the conference.
- Marissa Bates ranks 10th in the league with a team-best 4.19 digs per set.
Series History
-The Tigers are 28-32 all-time against the Lions, with FHSU winning the most recent meeting in the final match of the 2019 season.
- Fort Hays State holds a slim 33-32 lead in the all-time series against Pittsburg State. The Gorillas enter the weekend on a five-match winning streak against FHSU.
Looking Ahead
-Fort Hays State will hit the road for a midweek contest at No. 1 Washburn on Tuesday (Oct. 19) beginning at 6 p.m. before hosting Newman and Central Oklahoma next weekend inside Gross Memorial Coliseum (Oct. 22-23).
FHSU Athletics